Roland Mikhail’s Surreal Airbrush Paintings

Brooklyn artist Roland Mikhail masters the technique of airbrushing to create images of people, objects and wildlife that, as the artist says, “speak to the parts of us we do not know are looking.” His work is bold and instinctive, layered with complex imagery that explores the interconnections between our conscious and subconscious.

“Everything our organism comes into contact with leaves an indelible impression on the psyche whether we know it or not, remembered or forgotten, like it or dislike it,” the artist states on his website. “They inhabit a world we are mostly unconscious of, but it is always present. The sense is that we may catch a fleeting glimpse into this world through dream, intuition, or a sudden flash… but that world is forever staring back.”

Finding his inspiration in all facets of life, Mikhail molds his ideas through preliminary sketches then transforms them with acrylic and meticulous airbrushing. The paintings themselves are an ever-evolving journey, both in their creation and discovery, where new meanings surface from every angle. Visions appear like a second skin to the larger subjects, such as the sculptural faces and figures interwoven with a portrait of an elephant or image of an airplane in flight.